Britain calls on Turkey to "seal its border with Syria"

Sir Malcolm Rifkind, who was British Defense Secretary and then Foreign Secretary, asked Turkey to make more efforts amid intensifying calls for an increase in pressure on the Syrian regime. In an analysis entitled "An economic blockade can defeat President Bashar al-Assad" which was published on The Telegraph daily, Rifkind stressed the importance of a stricter economic blockade against the Syrian regime. "Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, has become Assad's bitterest critic and is already providing help to Syrian opposition forces. There should now be a two-pronged effort to defeat Assad, led by the Arab League and Turkey with support from the US and Europe. Part of that strategy should be to direct help to the Syrian resistance. Britain and the West should provide communications equipment, body armor, logistical support and intelligence as well as greater diplomatic and political assistance. The key, however, needs to be economic. The Syrian economy is deteriorating badly. The tourism industry has collapsed. The Syrian government has admitted that oil sanctions have already lost it more than $2 billion. Its currency is close to being in free fall. What is needed now is a total economic embargo on Syria, imposed and coordinated by the Arab League, Turkey, the US and the EU. Much of this could be achieved regardless of Russian opposition. Turkey can seal its border with Syria, as can Jordan. Syria's border with Israel is already closed. There should be maximum Arab and US pressure on Iraq to do likewise," Rifkind noted.